Parrot is adapting its consumer drones for commercial use

Parrot might be best known for its consumer drones like the Bebop and Disco, but it's been working on professional solutions since 2012. The results of that work, bolstered by company acquisitions like Pix4D mapping software and drone maker senseFly, are the new Parrot Professional range for small and medium business.

The Parrot Disco-Pro AG, Bebop-Pro 3D Modeling and ParrotBebop-Pro Thermal are based on the company's consumer models, but packaged with sensors, cameras and software for agriculture, real estate and construction. The fixed-wing Disco, for example, arrives in June for $4,500 and is made for farmers and agricultural co-ops and comes packaged with a multispectral imaging solution, a flight planning app and a web-based mapping platform.

The $1,100 Bebop-Pro 3D Modeling, which will also be available in June, is aimed at real-estate agents, architects and anyone else who might benefit from creating interactive 3D building models. Built around Parrot's Bebop 2 drone, the kit includes an app and software for capturing aerial images and converting them to 3D models. A thermal camera version of the Bebop 2 will also be available, though pricing and availability were not announced.

With drone maker DJI dominating the camera drone market, Parrot joins the growing list of manufacturers expanding its offerings for professionals beyond filmmakers. At CES 2017, Yuneec and Autel announced thermal imaging solutions, and 3D Robotics ceased production of its Solo quadcopter last year to focus on drone software solutions.